Misleading social media posts appear to have contributed to a sudden surge in migrant crossings into Spain's North African exclave of Ceuta. Tens of thousands of people attempted to cross from Morocco in late July. According to authorities, dozens drowned or were killed in crowd-related incidents during the crossings, which triggered a major humanitarian crisis.
European, Spanish and Moroccan authorities blamed the sudden surge in crossings on incorrect information circulating on social media and human traffickers. A recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling on migrant returns became the focus of many of the misleading claims.
The decision was issued several weeks earlier. It ruled that migrants who arrive by sea cannot be subject to the same fast-track deportation procedure applied to people intercepted while crossing physical border infrastructure, such as fences and other official barriers.
Posts on social media claimed that the ruling effectively prevented Spanish authorities from returning migrants who reached Spanish territory by sea, implying that they would be allowed to remain in the country.
The ruling was widely misrepresented online. DW Fact check examined how the claims spread and what the court actually decided.What was circulating on social media?
